Chelsea 8 Aston Villa 0: Blues go goal crazy

EVEN an eight-goal victory won’t be enough to get some Chelsea fans behind Rafa Benitez – no matter how much the Spaniard tries to pretend otherwise. This humiliation for Paul Lambert’s Villa merely confirmed that the only day some punters will acknowledge Benitez’s existence at Stamford Bridge is the day he leaves. Even when he orchestrates the biggest league win since they put eight past Wigan in 2010, the best he can expect is to be ignored. But at least the fans didn’t spend 90 minutes making Benitez a pantomime villain, even if the only manager name-checked remains Roberto Di Matteo. At some point surely some of them might begin to see what is in front of their eyes rather than ignore the blinding truth. That Benitez has changed Chelsea for the better – and might still get them back in the title race. Those determined to castigate him at every opportunity for perceived sins against their club during his time as Liverpool boss might continue to turn a blind eye to their team’s improvement. But sometimes the facts are clear – like Fernando Torres scoring more goals in the last six games under Benitez than he did in four months for Di Matteo. The Blues have also hit 25 goals since December 5 as Benitez finally makes his mark on a side now back in third place and looking as if they mean business. But the Spaniard doesn’t believe yesterday’s thrashing of Villa will change how the rest of the league views his side. He said: “They knew Chelsea were a top side before and we still are. Maybe they will be more careful playing against us but they had respect for Chelsea before.” The Blues are 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester United but Benitez believes they can eat away at that deficit. He said: “We’ll try to be as close as possible. I can see the team improving with each game but we can still do more – and I say that after winning by eight goals.” Benitez has turned the unreliable David Luiz into the player he always had the potential to be – whether at centre-back or in midfield. The most obvious change, though, has been seen in £50million flop Torres who now boasts seven goals from his last six matches. Benitez said: “He’s a striker so he needed to score goals. The team is doing well and Fernando is having more chances so he has more confidence as a result.” Villa arrived on the back of a six-game unbeaten run yet were embarrassed from first kick to last. Barely three minutes had elapsed when Chelsea secured the advantage, with Torres powering a stunning header past Brad Guzan. From that stage it was merely a question of the final margin Chelsea were in control while Villa never offered a threat. Luiz made it two with a terrific free-kick and the third followed before the break when Guzan saved from Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic nodded in the rebound. Even though Lambert tried to stem the flood, it was relentless and Guzan alone kept it below double figures – although only just. The flag denied Torres another before Frank Lampard marked his 500th Premier League start with a trademark 25-yard strike. It was his 130th top-flight goal for Chelsea, overtaking Bobby Tambling to go top of the all-time list. “Sign him up” urged the home fans, still refusing to acknowledge the manager. By now it was almost too easy. Oscar missed a sitter after replacing Torres before Lucas Piazon’s first touch after replacing Juan Mata saw Ramires fire through Guzan’s legs. Front Page News Sport Entertainment Lifestyle Opinion Home Sport Football Football News English Premier League By Ed Casey Chelsea 8 Aston Villa 0: Blues go goal crazy but hammering doesn't win over Benitez haters 24 Dec 2012 00:01 THE Londoners put Villa to the sword with a devastating display in front of goal but it wasn't enough to stop some sections chanting for Benitez to be axed. Fernando Torres celebrates his strike with Victor Moses and Cesar Azpilicueta Fernando Torres celebrates his strike with Victor Moses and Cesar Azpilicueta EVEN an eight-goal victory won’t be enough to get some Chelsea fans behind Rafa Benitez – no matter how much the Spaniard tries to pretend otherwise. This humiliation for Paul Lambert’s Villa merely confirmed that the only day some punters will acknowledge Benitez’s existence at Stamford Bridge is the day he leaves. Even when he orchestrates the biggest league win since they put eight past Wigan in 2010, the best he can expect is to be ignored. But at least the fans didn’t spend 90 minutes making Benitez a pantomime villain, even if the only manager name-checked remains Roberto Di Matteo. At some point surely some of them might begin to see what is in front of their eyes rather than ignore the blinding truth. That Benitez has changed Chelsea for the better – and might still get them back in the title race. Those determined to castigate him at every opportunity for perceived sins against their club during his time as Liverpool boss might continue to turn a blind eye to their team’s improvement. But sometimes the facts are clear – like Fernando Torres scoring more goals in the last six games under Benitez than he did in four months for Di Matteo. The Blues have also hit 25 goals since December 5 as Benitez finally makes his mark on a side now back in third place and looking as if they mean business. But the Spaniard doesn’t believe yesterday’s thrashing of Villa will change how the rest of the league views his side. He said: “They knew Chelsea were a top side before and we still are. Maybe they will be more careful playing against us but they had respect for Chelsea before.” The Blues are 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester United but Benitez believes they can eat away at that deficit. He said: “We’ll try to be as close as possible. I can see the team improving with each game but we can still do more – and I say that after winning by eight goals.” Benitez has turned the unreliable David Luiz into the player he always had the potential to be – whether at centre-back or in midfield. The most obvious change, though, has been seen in £50million flop Torres who now boasts seven goals from his last six matches. Benitez said: “He’s a striker so he needed to score goals. The team is doing well and Fernando is having more chances so he has more confidence as a result.” Villa arrived on the back of a six-game unbeaten run yet were embarrassed from first kick to last. Barely three minutes had elapsed when Chelsea secured the advantage, with Torres powering a stunning header past Brad Guzan. From that stage it was merely a question of the final margin Chelsea were in control while Villa never offered a threat. David Luiz adds a second with a thumping free-kick David Luiz adds a second with a thumping free-kick Luiz made it two with a terrific free-kick and the third followed before the break when Guzan saved from Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic nodded in the rebound. Even though Lambert tried to stem the flood, it was relentless and Guzan alone kept it below double figures – although only just. The flag denied Torres another before Frank Lampard marked his 500th Premier League start with a trademark 25-yard strike. It was his 130th top-flight goal for Chelsea, overtaking Bobby Tambling to go top of the all-time list. “Sign him up” urged the home fans, still refusing to acknowledge the manager. By now it was almost too easy. Oscar missed a sitter after replacing Torres before Lucas Piazon’s first touch after replacing Juan Mata saw Ramires fire through Guzan’s legs. Eden Hazard slams home the seventh Eden Hazard slams home the seventh Oscar then made it six from the spot before Eden Hazard crashed home past the exposed Guzan, who had scarcely saved Piazon’s spot-kick before he was beaten for the eighth time by Ramires. Shell-shocked Villa boss Lambert said: “I won’t make excuses – we were second best all over the pitch. “But sometimes getting beat tells you a lot about people.” There was better news for the former Celtic star after the game as his dispute with former club Norwich came to an end. Villa have agreed to pay the Canaries the original compensation figure in Lambert’s contract and the Scot will receive a bonus he was due at the end of last season.

Baggies bonus as Odemwingie blasts Nigeria chiefs on Twitter (so, he'll definitely miss the African Cup of Nations now...)

Peter Odemwingie has used his Twitter account to launch a blistering attack on the Nigeria Football Federation and Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi. The 31-year-old West Brom striker was controversially left out of the squad for the African Cup of Nations and vented his anger via social media. Odemwingie, who would have been playing in his fifth African Cup tournament, tweeted: ‘On my non-inclusion to the Eagles list I am not surprised. Not surprised Keshi and NFF couldn’t tell me themselves. No personality! ‘We talk through press hahaha how come I am the only stubborn one but no ex-Eagles player was sent off from the team with respect? ‘Keshi has no footballing reasons not to invite me but is not saying the truth. He is still in my plans he said haha coach u no dey my plans.’ On Friday Keshi announced a 32-man provisional squad to go to a training camp in Portugal and Odemwingie was not in it. The player has been at the centre of controversy with his country before and some blamed him for Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2012 Nations Cup. Keshi has since claimed that Odemwingie was demanding to be made captain, which has also annoyed the player. He tweeted: ‘This might sound disrespectful but Eagles had no good captain for many years. Everyone looking only after himself.’ Odemwingie made his Nigeria debut ten years ago. It has often been a fractious relationship with a series of coaches but the player was still desperate to represent his country. The fall-out from the row will be an unexpected bonus for West Brom head coach Steve Clarke, who now has the services of his converted wide man in January. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2252785/Peter-Odemwingie-Twitter-row-Nigeria-African-Cup-Nations-exclusion.html#ixzz2FxoyvZtM Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Nigerians rue year 2012

…Say it is not as prosperous as expected A cross section of Nigerians said the outgoing 2012 has not been as prosperous as expected, considering the era of a democratic government. From Agency Report They told the NewsNow in separate interviews that it could have been better “if only our leaders could muster the political will to make it better. Mr. Olaitan Adams, a civil servant with the Lagos State Government, said things were just depreciating year by year, “the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer. “I have been in the service of Lagos State for six years now, and I don’t have a car and savings, I live in perpetual fear of the unknown. “Last year, I was able to take my family on a treat, but this year, even cooking on Christmas day will be a miracle,” he said. Adams urged all the tiers of government to put the welfare of their staff at the forefront, noting: “we are the wheel that makes the nation move and should be adequately cared for.” Mrs. Ann Keshinro, an entrepreneur, said she is not impressed with the rate of growth in the economy despite the democratic government. “The rate of growth of upcoming or small and medium scale businesses is a proportional percentage of the rate of growth of the economy and vice versa. “Entrepreneurs in this country are practically magicians because we still have some businesses that survive against all odds in this dwindling economy,” Keshinro said. Mr. Titilope Bamgbala, a real estate manager, said the country had the potential to turn its fortunes around within four years with the right leaders.

Nigeria railroad project connects 2 major cities

By Gabriel Agema with Agency Report (Huff Business Post) LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria has rebuilt and reopened railroad tracks connecting Lagos, its commercial heartbeat in the south, to Kano, its largest city in the north, in a $166 milllion project meant to revive the railway system of Africa's most populous country. Minister of Transport Idris Umar described the new route as a "vital start-off" for the economy, at a launch ceremony held at Lagos' Ebute-Metta Terminus Friday. Tracks connecting the cities, 720 miles (1160 kilometers) apart, were first built in 1912. But neglect, and corruption, made about 70 percent of the tracks unusable as of early last year. The railway is also China's first big project as it tries to make inroads in the West African nation. The China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. had the contract to rebuild the railway to the central city of Jebba. The other leg of the railroad, from Jebba to Kano, was rebuilt by the Nigerian company, Costain West Africa PLC. Trains offer affordable transportation for many in this oil-rich but impoverished nation. However, most long-distance passengers travel in piteous conditions. A car of the inaugural Kano-bound train was packed, with people struggling for seating space and cool air. "If not for poverty, I would have taken the bus," said Michael Olaoluwa Peters, a 36-year-old soccer player. His trip to the southern city of Abeokuta would have cost him the equivalent of $4, but cost only $1 by train. The price difference is even greater for those going all the way to Kano. Anna Joda, 35, a petty trader, traveled with her four children, between ages 2 and 8, to spend the holidays with her in-laws in Kano while her husband stayed back in Lagos. She stood in the aisle, her toddler wrapped around her back while her three children shared two seats. "I chose the train because I thought there'd be more leg room," she said. The railway project hopes to alleviate the burden on Nigeria's poorly maintained road network. However, much still needs to be done before the train becomes a preferred mode of transportation for those who can afford to travel by road or even air. "Some people slept at the station last night and they still did not get a seat. The service is poor, very poor," said Peters as he held the car door for support after hearing a whistle signaling departure from Lagos.

Merry Christmyths and Ending of the World

Assuming that the world did not end on December 21, 2012, you are reading this column and snickering at the pagan Maya who made the prediction. Laugh as much as you want, but they are also thinking that we are idiots celebrating a feast which is full of myths, ignorance and sheer lies. After all, Christmas is a period of shutting out reality and celebrating in euphoric numbness for a few days. One of the first myths is that we are celebrating the birth of Christ. Well, that is so wrong because Christ was not born on earth, it is Jesus who was. Christ, which means 'the anointed one', is the name that he took on after his dunking by John the Baptist. The first reference to him being the Christ, which is a title and not a name, came in Matthew 16:16 when Peter declared, "You are the Christ." Nevertheless, that is the least of our concerns. The bigger problem is that we don't even know when he was born. WINTER SOLSTICE If you look on the almanac, and some calendars have it, the winter solstice begins this year on December 21, but it varies two days either way. This solstice is when the sun appears lowest in the sky relative to the horizon and has been such a significant event that many cultures have festivals or during this period. Ironically, the pagan Romans, who killed Jesus, had a celebration along with the attendant tree worship. Christendom's appropriation of it is evidence of 'if you can't beat them, join them'. Thus, Christmas falls in the same category as Easter, when another non-Christian tradition was retrofitted. The early Church also neatly tried to place conception somewhere in March because, according to Luke 1:26, the visitation of the angel took place when Elizabeth was six months pregnant with John the Baptist. Nevertheless, getting the month is hard enough; it is the year which befuddles us most. This is year 2012. Thus, according to popular lore, it is 2012 years since he was born. Was he born 01 BC, 0000 AD or 0001 AD? But let's not fight over a year, because we have bigger battles of myth versus truth. Inconveniently for the theologians who clash with the historians, Herod the Great was born between 73 and 74 BC and died 4 BC. Unless he has been resurrected or had some serious 'sciance', it is impossible for him to have ordered the death of baby Jesus. Indeed, the census, referred to in Luke 2, occurred somewhere around 8 BC. Thus, Jesus might very well have been born before he was born. Well, he is God himself, so he can do the impossible. We also think he was born in a stable, but there is no such biblical reference. He was placed in a manger, which is a feeding trough for herbivores. In fact, there are references in Matthew to him being in a house when the Magi went to visit him. And how did the jackass get into the picture? Somebody placed Mary on a donkey and an old carol makes it true. However, we need to get the ass out of the story because the Bible didn't say so, and in any event, if you ever rode a donkey, you would know that Jesus would have been born in a saddle, which is fastened with the donkey 'kupa'. Another non-scriptural belief is that there were three wise men. There were Magi, which means men of knowledge and secrets and includes magicians. Thus, the words 'magus' and 'magi' are singular and plural. And by the way, they were not kings. We would like to say so because it would make Jesus King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but they were simply sages and prestidigitators who bowed down and worshipped him. Wise men seek him, but up to the present, many kings shun him. Nonetheless, although three gifts were brought - gold, frankincense and myrrh - no reference is made to the number of Magi, but this little embellishment is rather harmless. Dr Orville Taylor, Contributor The Cleaner (Jamaican Newspaper)